Blood of Olympus II
by BloodofOlympusII
Summary: CAUTION: BoO Spoilers. The Greek and Roman crew-members of the Argo II need to carry out their mission and have only ten days to do so. Gaea is on the verge of waking and is using Percy as her pawn. Annabeth struggles with the temporary return of her late friend, Luke. Calypso is in danger, but Leo can do nothing to save her. Will Percy and his mom finally reunite? Enjoy!
1. Chapter One - Leo

**_CAUTION: **Blood of Olympus Spoilers Ahead** - _****_A/N below_**

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><p><strong>Leo<strong>

**_About halfway down, Leo decided that falling to his death was getting old. _**Even if he was only drifting slowly through an abyss of darkness, it was _definitely_ getting old. How about a friendly monster for a change? Maybe just one day of good weather? Too much to ask? Just when Leo thought he'd find her, something interfered. Something _always_ interfered.

They were making good progress to Ithaca, and between the seven of them, they had a chance of defeating Gaea. Leo was supposed to be happy, just like everyone else. But Leo couldn't be happy; not When Calypso's fate was in his hands. Leo had a constant ache in his gut, like a knife had been stabbed there when he had been forced to leave Ogygia.

Leo couldn't recall exactly what it was that had hit them. He remembered that he was trying to calm Festus in the middle of a lightning storm… s_tupid. _He remembered drowning. He remembered the fear that overtook him as his lungs filled with water, and he was unable to breathe.

Drowning was unlike anything he'd ever experienced; it hurt more than being away from Calypso. The hard part was, he didn't even have the time to take his final breath, and his fried body made it impossible to swim.

He thought back to how the whole mess had started. Leo had been slaving over one of the spheres when disaster struck. The _Argo II_ gave a massive lurch to port, making Leo drop his latest invention, which crumbled to bits.

Groaning, Leo stumbled above decks using his fingers to guide him through the dark. Although the fire he summoned was small, offering little light, Leo knew everything about the _Argo II; _every bump, step, crack, and turn, which came in handy whenever the power went out.

Jason and Percy, being the heroes that everyone admired, were already on deck, standing back to back. Their bromance had definitely grown stronger and the two could communicate their plans without speaking. Percy looked like he hadn't slept in days, and Jason wasn't any better. "I told the girls to stay downstairs," Percy grumbled, "They dealt with the last attack."

"What is it this time?" Jason complained, "And what's that smell?" The _Argo II_ lurched to the starboard side, and Jason got soaked from head to toe in sea water. His blonde hair was plastered across his forehead. Leo sighed and turned his attention back to the boat.

There wasn't much to be seen, since the lights on the ship weren't working. _More tedious repairs, _Leo thought. He didn't understand why, since he made the _Argo II_ virtually life-proof. The lights were designed to be unaffected by the elements. Nothing was supposed to make them break. _Maybe they were disabled?_ Leo fumbled for something in his magic tool belt, and pulled out a couple of remotes. He held them close to his eyes trying to find the one he was looking for. "Booya!" Leo found the remote and clicked. To his surprise, the lights came back on.

Leo immediately regretted his actions. Before him stood one of the ugliest monsters he had ever seen. Eight feet tall, covered in warts, pimples, and scales with slime dripping down its body and onto recently swabbed decks. Even from a few yards away, he could smell its putrid odor; rancid seaweed and rotten fish. He reached into his belt and pulled out a clothespin, clamping it onto his nose.

Leo stood still for a moment, waiting for the monster to move. He contemplated turning the light off and casually walking back downstairs to his cozy bed by the engines. He could continue dreaming peacefully of himself and Calypso working in their workshop. But he couldn't... because of Festus. The poor figurehead needed help that only Leo could give. Percy gave Leo a terse nod and withdrew Riptide, his magic pen/sword. Jason followed suit, drawing his own weapon.

_Slimeball, _as Leo dubbed him, laughed in a deep, booming voice. "You shall not succeed in your quest, Leo Valdez." Leo decided to ignore him.

Festus was reeling and huffing smoke from his nose like a broken down train. Leo turned his attention away from the monster that he had no interest in fighting and ran over to Festus. As he tried to calm him he heard his friends talking down the monster. He though he'd heard the name, but he couldn't really make it out. _Ketea, maybe? _Leo didn't really care. Not when Calypso was on that island, in danger. Not when Gaea was about to awaken and destroy the world. The knife in his gut twisted, and Leo began to feel sick. An image came to his mind, one that he'd seen before. An image that periodically interrupted his dreams of Cider and Stew.

He saw Calypso lying on the ground, unconscious. The imaginary knife tore his insides. She was in those jeans she made to match his. In her hand was a blood soaked dagger. Leo remembered how she wore a white cotton shirt and at the end of everyday they spent building the raft; it always ended up ruined and she'd have to make a new one. The shirt she wore here was ruined too. It wasn't covered in dirt or grease or grape juice… long story. This time it was covered in blood.

He was on his knees, bending over her. He had one hand on her face and with his other, he squeezed her hand so tightly his knuckles turned white. "Come back, please," he begged. And then the voice came to him, the one that had taunted him all his life. He tried to send her away, she was gone, she wasn't welcome. "You're not supposed to be here, go away." As he said it he looked off at empty space behind him, where he imagined she'd be. _You__'__ll always lose, you will never get the girl, I may be sleeping, but I can still ruin your life Leo Valdez._

"No!" He yelled angrily, "You can't take her away from me!" _But she is already gone, can__'__t you see? I can__'__t take her away from you when she is already gone, little hero. _He looked back down at Calypso's lifeless face. The only one who ever loved him had just died saving him. It wasn't right, this wasn't how it was supposed to end. Leo was supposed to save her.

"Leo!" The sound of Jason's voice brought him back. He was still standing on the ship, patting Festus on the head to calm him. Leo scanned the ship for Jason, but there wasn't any sight of him. "Up here!" Jason shouted. Leo looked up into the sky and saw Jason flying like a superhero to save the day.

Jason pointed down at him, "Festus!" His voice sounded frightened. Leo looked over at the dragon head to yell at him for freaking out at the worst possible moment. But that wasn't the problem. Festus was even worse now. He had short circuited, his head slumped and steam rose out of all open crevices.

Without a second thought, Leo pulled out a head lamp and screwdriver from his belt and began to crack open his dragon's head. Leo was right, a circuit had blown. _That__'__s an easy fix._ As Leo worked, he was distracted by flashes of lightning.

Percy was standing on the deck surrounded by a hurricane. It swirled around him like a protective shell. The monster, kaka or whatever it was, roared and the whole ship shuddered. The foremast gave a sickening creak. _Please don__'__t break. Please don__'__t break._ Leo begged. Percy shouted and slashed at the beast with his sword. Above, Jason created a cyclone that merged with Percy's hurricane. Thanks to Leo's engineering, the Argo II was able to withstand their storm. Jason flew down and slashed at the monster's head. The monster belched and covered Percy with green slime that smelled like acid. Percy summoned a wave over the side of the ship and washed it away. Leo turned back to Festus.

Leo had hoped that since Piper had charmspoken Festus into an almost _living _being, that he might get out unscathed. Apparently not. Leo worked quickly, barely thing about what he was doing. His mind raced and the sounds of the storm and Percy and Jason vanished. Even the knife in his gut stopped twisting. This was what he was good at; this was where he excelled. Two minutes later, Festus was giving Leo a damage report. The hull of the ship had a gaping hole in it, and one of the sails had blown away. _Nothing that can__'__t be fixed. _Leo jumped up to join his friends.

Percy must've been in the water, because he wasn't on the deck anymore and Jason was yelling orders at him from the sky. Leo wondered if Jason had accidentally struck Festus with his lightning. _I need to talk to him about his aim._

If Jason hadn't before, he had now. A bolt of lightning came down and hit Festus straight in the head, missing Leo by inches.

"Jason! I just fixed him!" Leo shouted.

"Sorry!" Jason shouted back. Leo turned back to Festus and put his hand on his head. He listened, determining what he had to fix now. The shock sizzled and crackled Festus' circuit board. Leo wondered, too late, why he had put his hand on the bronze figurehead when lighting had super-charged the atmosphere. The surge of electricity started at his fingertips. It moved quickly, coming up his arms. He felt it burn in his chest. When he let go, he fell backwards against the hull and fell into the water. As Leo broke the surface, he was unable to breathe or move. Leo shut his eyes with a foolish belief that it would take the pain away and he would fall asleep. He drifted away. He was brought upon another dream. A good one.

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><p><strong><em>AN:_ **As this is a rewrite of Rick Riordan's Blood of Olympus, it will definitely be containing spoilers. The book felt too rushed, and so many things that were supposed to happen, didn't happen. So for our own personal benefit, this will be the Blood of Olympus the way it's meant to be. It shall feature chapters from ten demigod POV's (and yes... that includes Percy and Annabeth). It will follow along with only some of the things that happen with the book (i.e. dialogue and events that take place), although most will be subject to change. This story hopes to shed new light on: demigod/parent-god moments, Percy/Annabeth, Leo/Calypso and much _much _more. Please review, Suggestions are happily accepted. Enjoy!


	2. Chapter Two - Leo

Leo

**_Leo loved dreaming. _**

"You know, I'm not so sure about the whole singing and dancing on fire act," Calypso pondered as they sat at a workbench building a shield only a fool would use. Some half-blood wanted a sheet of metal that blasted arrows at the click of the button. _Arrows?_ Leo was still astonished by it. Why not a blast of fire? One you could aim? No, this stupid demigod wanted a shield that he could accidentally fire on all his friends. Leo offered his fire ball idea to the kid — but he had insisted on screeching arrows. Leo made sure that only the demigod could use the button; it was the very least he could do to protect the lives of the innocents this foolish ingrate-

"Leo? Earth to Leo?" Calypso pushed him to get his attention. Leo had been teaching her phrases and sayings and that one had been her favorite. She couldn't help herself but laugh every time she said it. And she did laugh, the sweet, beautiful sound filling the room. Leo forgot about the shield. He was too focused on the sound of her laughter that he hadn't realized she was actually talking to him.

"Huh? What?" Leo looked around to see what was the matter. When he caught sight of Calypso he immediately smiled. "Oh, Hi," he said nervously haven not realized she was sitting right next to him or for how long. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention," admitted sadly.

"I noticed. As I was saying-"

Leo sputtered and coughed. The illusion faded. Voices he wished were Calypso's spoke words of encouragement. "That's it, breathe."

He leaned his head forward and looked up to see Percy. Percy's hand was on Leo's chest and he could feel Percy drawing the water out of his lungs. He was surprised at how much he spat up. Percy looked confused, and knitted his eyebrows. Then his eyes widened in shock, as if he'd made a mistake. "OH!" Percy quickly drew his hand away. Leo felt weak, dehydrated. Percy had been taking all the water from his body. "Sorry man," Percy apologized.

"I was having a really nice dream," he mumbled. He too tired to care that Percy had nearly turned him into Leo-jerky. His voice sounded more annoyed than he meant it to. Percy immediately looked hurt and ashamed."but thanks for saving me anyway bro," he added 's head felt like lead. With a thump it hit the ground again.

"He needs ambrosia," Percy told Jason, a serious tone in his voice.

"What do you mean?" Jason asked, "He only drowned and you cured that already."Percy didn't tell him what he had done, and Jason seemed oblivious. Leo wanted to refuse ambrosia, they had already used up too much of it. But not only had Leo been electrocuted, he'd also felt like he'd been in a dehydrator for five hours.

He imagined his shriveled up body on a TV advertisement: Leo-jerky, brought to you by Poseidon Powers; a family company. Try our brand new lightning flavored jerky today!

"He's been _electrocuted_," Percy said sarcastically, like he was blaming Jason. Like, _You may be able to fly, but at least I don__'__t attack my friends with lightning. _Leo could imagine Percy adding, _and I had to save him from drowning because of you. _Leo knew there were only teasing each other. Truthfully, they were really good friends. Leo, on the other hand, was still a little scared of Percy.

Leo remembered after they saved Percy and Annabeth from Tartarus. Leo, Jason, and Frank all sat in Percy's room bragging about their stories. Percy recounted his encounter with Akhylys and how he nearly choked her with her own poison. _You can choke any of us if you got in a bad mood? _Jason had wondered.

Jason ran off below decks. After a few minutes, a whole lot of clanking, and Piper's demands to know everything that was going on, Jason returned. "Here man," he said, handing him a chunk of ambrosia. It tasted like apple cider, but there was something wrong with the flavor. It was sour. Jason snapped off a piece and handed it to Percy who looked like he had walked ten miles through a hurricane and had barely survived.

Calypso's voice came into his head. This time he really didn't think he was imagining things. Her voice was so soft and sweet, like she was singing. "Leo, I need you to come back, don't do anything stupid."

"I love you too, sunshine," Leo mumbled. Percy nearly choked on his ambrosia and Jason thumped him on the back. Leo didn't care; somehow, he knew that Calypso had heard him and that was all that mattered. Leo drifted off again.


	3. Chapter Three - Leo

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews and support so far! Please feel free to suggest what you hope will happen in this rewrite!**

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><p>Leo<p>

**_The damages on the boat weren_****_'_****_t too severe. _**With any luck, they should make it to Ithaca right on schedule, especially since Leo had everyone aboard to help him.

Frank and Hazel were repairing the hole in the hull, Frank from the outside (he'd grown wings), Hazel from the inside. Jason had managed to rescue the sail last night, so he and Piper were reattaching it. Annabeth was scrubbing the decks with a mop while Percy called waves from the ocean to wash the soap and green slime away. Every time he would, Annabeth would laugh hysterically. Every once in a while he would bring up a pathetic little wave and grin.

Leo felt supercharged, the hairs on his arms still wouldn't settle. Everything metal he touched would zap him. But that didn't stop him from opening up Festus and messing with the wiring. Jason had fried Festus's brain, so to speak. Circuits had blown all throughout his head. The repairs for that weren't difficult at all, just time consuming. Leo needed time consuming.

He was on problem number three of five when he started to think about Calypso. The prophecy had only been a dream, how could he possible believe it to be real? But there were so many indications that Calypso was in grave danger.

He had dreamt he was standing in the Big House at Camp Half-Blood. For a moment, he thought it was after the war; but then Clarisse started arguing with someone about the Romans battle lines. He tried to talk, but they didn't seem to hear him. "Hey!" Leo yelled. He felt ready to set himself on fire, just to see what happened. And then Rachel started spouting out a prophecy and his blood ran cold, the fire swiftly dampened.

_Before the union of the Romans and Greeks_

_The child of Hephaestus must find what he seeks_

_To Atlantis is where the elements must sail_

_Without the tree the seven cannot prevail_

_A promise, a betrayal, and a lie will challenge the quest_

_The child of Hephaestus will face this final test_

This moment had crumbled away and followed by Calypso screaming. "Leo!" she yelled, "Help me!" She reached for a knife, and then turned back to something Leo couldn't see. Her eyes were filled with fear, her face whiteand terrified. "NO! Don't hurt him! I'll kill you!" Calypso charged. Before the image faded, Calypso was thrown back against the wall of her head whipped back and smacked into a crystal.

_I have to help her. I have to save her. _He hadn't told any of his friends about his dreams yet. He couldn't manage it. He didn't even know what they meant. Besides, they were dealing with too much already. They only had ten days until August 1st, and they were already behind schedule for Ithaca and then Athens. The group couldn't possibly manage to save Calypso before then. _If you don__'__t she will die__…_ _I will take her, _Gaea's voice mocked him. "Go away, Dirt Face," he grumbled a little too loud.

Annabeth and Percy's laughter stopped momentarily.

Leo had moved on to problem four when he crossed two wires he shouldn't have and was blasted backwards. "Agh!" Festus's eyes lit up and his head rose made a couple of clicking noises that Leo translated as _Thank you. _He figured he must have jumpstarted him.

"Dude! You alright?" Percy called from across the deck. Leo gave a nod as he got up and waved Percy away with his hand. Leo was about to go back to Festus when Hazel and Frank came back above decks.

"Captain!" Frank yelled, addressing Leo. "We finished the hull."

"Yeah, but we've got trouble. At least we think we do." Hazel said, slightly out of breath. Her curly brown hair was pulled back into a polka dot bandana. When she saw that he was looking at her, she smiled warmly. Leo knew that he had found a good friend in Hazel Levesque. When he rejoined his friends in Malta, he had the feeling that she knew something had changed in him; that he was hurting inside. The first chance she got, after all that mess in the House of Hades, she'd marched straight into Leo's cabin and said, "Spill." It had all come tumbling out, and Leo was glad for someone to confide in. Calypso had changed him somehow, she had made him accountable for someone other than himself.

Leo shook his head out the past and focused on the present.

"What's the problem?" Percy and Annabeth asked simultaneously. Their smiles had faded into hardened looks of determination.

"There are at least three unidentified creatures following us underwater." Hazel said. "They keep moving around erratically, but they're definitely following."

"Could they be dolphins?" Leo asked, looking over the side for a sign of dorsal fins. He'd always wanted to swim with dolphins, but being kicked from foster home to foster home made his vacation time virtually nonexistent.

Percy shook his head, "No, they aren't dolphins." Leo found it odd that Percy knew just from where he was standing, but he decided not to question him. "They don't seem to be a threat though. If they want to join us, they will. I wouldn't worry about it." Percy said.

"Guys, guys," Leo said. "We're only a couple of hours from Ithaca. Then, according to Annabeth, it's Ghost-Party time. I think we better start figuring out a plan."

"Jason! Piper!" Annabeth called. Within seconds the two flew down, Jason with his arms around Piper's waist like they were Superman and Lois Lane. Leo snorted.

"'Sup?" Jason said.

"I have been thinking a lot about Ithaca," Annabeth began, assuming the position of strategic leader, "I think our best bet is if Piper, Jason, and I go."

"What?" Percy said, clenching his fists. A geyser of water burst out of the ocean a few feet away."There are a hundred angry ghosts bent on revenge hanging around there," he argued. Annabeth rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Percy," Annabeth said slowly, cautioning him with those scary grey eyes of hers. "We need you to stay aboard and keep watch for threats from the sea. You say whoever is following us isn't dangerous… but someone might be."

"I'll be fine," she said reassuringly. Percy's hands relaxed. "Besides, Piper saw in her knife that Jason and I are going with her." She turned back to face the others, "Hazel, we need you to cover us with the mist. Can you manage from here?" Hazel nodded.

"I think so, yes." Hazel's magic had grown exponentially in a few short days, to the point where they all relied on her.

"It's settled then?" Annabeth asked, looking pointedly at Percy. He frowned, scrunching his eyebrows and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine," he grumbled, "I'll stay and watch for threats." Leo was kind of amazed at her ability to persuade him that there was no danger when there obviously was. "Alright," Annabeth said in a tone that suggested she had expected further argument. She left to talk with Piper and Hazel.

Leo turned back to Festus. He still had one more thing to fix. He understood why Percy was so afraid to let Annabeth go. They hadn't spent a moment apart since returning from Tartarus, and from the stories he'd heard about their experience… it wasn't good. Leo didn't think he would have survived down there. How they had managed was anyone's guess.

"Hey man…" Percy said, pulling Jason aside. "I know Annabeth would kill me for suggesting she needed anyone to protect her."

"Yeah, she would," Jason agreed. A smile tugged at Percy's face… but he quickly became serious again.

"But, look out for her, okay?"

Jason squeezed Percy's shoulder, "I'll make sure she gets back to you safely."

When they docked just outside of Ithaca, everything was ready to go. Piper and Annabeth were dressed in their server's outfits. Hazel had a chair set up on the deck so she could manage the Mist. Percy clenched the side of the boat until his knuckles blanched, and he stared out at the water, his body motionless.

Leo told the crew about his super-duper-only-as-a-last-resort backup plan. "Alright guys, I made you these flares. A little magnesium… a spark that activates when you throw it in the air… and Viola! Anyway, if you guys get into trouble, throw one of these into the air and I'll fly the ship over and blast the whole place to smithereens. Just make sure you take cover as fast as possible, because I can't make any promises," Leo chuckled and wagged his eyebrows. The others smiled.

"Seriously, I can't," he said darkly, "Still some kinks to work out..."

Jason nodded and handed the flares out to Piper and Annabeth. He then flew them all off the boat and onto the shore. Hazel closed her eyes and activated the mist. _Let it begin._


	4. Chapter Four - Annabeth

Annabeth

**Sometimes, Annabeth wished that she wasn't so smart. **As the _Argo II_ made its voyage from the House of Hades to the palace of Odysseus, Annabeth felt as if her world was expanding. In Tartarus her focus had been a straightforward path to the Doors of Death. Staying alive and getting herself and Percy out to safety were her only interests; she had swept everything else to a dark recess of her mind, filed away for later use.

But now, as she breathed the fresh, salty air of the Mediterranean, and felt the wind whipping through her hair, her thoughts became like a tangled web of information, sorting through every possible outcome and eventuality. The contrast in her thinking was head-splitting. Annabeth began to understand how the gods felt.

Annabeth had been hoping that she was wrong about what was awaiting them at the palace, but as usual, she was absolutely correct. Over a hundred angry ghosts, Hades-bent on revenge against anyone and everyone.

As Annabeth descended the rope ladder of the _Argo II_, she stared in distaste at her new outfit. It was a Greek style dress with golden bracelets that encircled her upper arms. Her blonde hair was tied back into an ancient style bun, adorned with little silks of gold string that were woven into her curls. The whole thing reminded her of Circe's Island, back when she was thirteen and Percy had been turned into a guinea pig. She resisted the urge to snort.

Annabeth hopped off of the end of the ladder. Jason stood a few feet away, disguised as an old man, with bulging blue veins and wrinkled skin. He smelled like sulfur and looked worse than the former Oracle at Camp Half-Blood. Annabeth hated the whole idea of bending the Mist; it reminded her too much of the Death Mist and... _that place_.

Annabeth shuddered and waited for Piper. She had avoided talking about Tartarus with anyone, even Percy. She knew that it strained their relationship, but she wanted to forget the entire ordeal. She relived the experience enough as it was in the fractured visions that plagued her dreams every night. However, the rational part of her brain told her she would have to discuss it eventually or she would descend into madness.

The plan, which Annabeth, Hazel, and Piper had worked out, was for Jason to wheedle information from the leader of the ghosts as quickly as possible, and without giving anything away. Annabeth and Piper were dressed as servants with their swords stowed away, should Jason need backup. Annabeth knew there were about a million things that could go wrong, but when did they ever go right?

Piper joined them, and together, they began their journey. Leo had already scoped the shoreline for any monsters, so they knew that they were safe until they reached the mountains. Annabeth looked up the cliff face and sighed. They had a lot of rock to climb.

Once again, Annabeth found herself remembering the little moments in Tartarus. She thought about herself and Percy climbing a cliff face similar to the one she was scaling had rested on a little jut of stone, just before they encountered Kelli the demon-cheerleader and Bob the Titan had saved them. Bob… gods, she felt so bad about his death. Ever since their escape, it was all she could think about. She wanted so badly for him to come back.

They continued to climb, the sun beating down uncomfortably on the back of Annabeth's neck. Piper hummed to herself and Jason wheezed as he wobbled along on unsteady knees. Annabeth felt a little bad for him; she wondered why Hazel had chosen such an ancient disguise, but she figured the girl knew what she was doing. It was better than Death Mist, anyway.

Annabeth calculated that it would take them about another fifteen minutes to reach the summit. Anxiety crawled its way into her throat. She swallowed it down. Jason let out another wheeze.

"Almost there, you're doing really great." Piper gave Jason a comforting smile. Jason shot Piper a nervous glance before leaning up against a nearby cedar tree. "Worst idea ever." He wiped sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. Annabeth picked at a loose thread in her hair and frowned. She had to continuously hunch her shoulders to keep her dress from slipping, and she didn't want to go into battle looking like Quasimodo.

Jason seemed to read her mind. "Hazel's magic is too good. If I have to fight, I'll be completely useless."

Annabeth pursed her lips. "It won't come to that," she said. "We'll infiltrate the place – get the information that we need, and then we can get out."

Piper nodded and set down her amphora – her sword clattered a little inside the tall, ceramic jar. "We'll rest a minute. Catch your breath, okay Jason?"

Jason didn't seem to like it, but he sighed against the tree regardless. Annabeth slung her own amphora off of her shoulder. She hadn't liked the idea of putting her Ivory sword inside the vase. Instead, she had tucked it into the folds of her dress. Piper had done the same with her knife, Katoptris. Annabeth wished she had her knife with her. Unfortunately, it was deep in Tartarus.

Annabeth scanned the surroundings, searching for any oncoming threats. She couldn't find any. Not that she wanted them, of course. Jason's breathing steadied a bit, but his lungs still rattled like pebbles in an air-conditioning unit.

Annabeth looked over toward Afales Bay. It glittered beautifully in the sunlight and the water was so dazzlingly blue that it reminded her of Sally Jackson's homemade chocolate-chip cookies. Just thinking about them made her wish that she was home; back in New York where it was safe.

Jason muttered something that sounded a lot like, "Stupid Ithaca," under his breath. She followed his gaze and found that he was staring at the _Argo II_. The ship rested on the anchor, its white sails looking no bigger than postage stamps. She wished she was back with Percy. Annabeth cursed herself for sounding so whiney. She had a mission. She was going to stick to it.

Annabeth glanced around. The island itself was absolutely amazing. A swirl of tree-topped hills spun into the center, chalk white slopes plunged into the sea. Little inlets formed pebbled beaches and harbors. Red-roofed houses and white stucco churches nestled safely against the shoreline.

There was one terrible downside – it felt like a billion degrees. Annabeth was used to warm weather, having spent a lot of time in San Francisco with her dad, but she had become accustomed to the dreary and smoggy weather of New York.

"Are you sure this is the right hill?" Jason asked from beneath the shade of his tree. "It seems kinda – I dunno – _quiet_."

Piper studied the ridgeline. "The ruins are up there," she pointed upwards, about a hundred yards. "I saw them in my knife. And you heard what Hazel said, 'The biggest gathering of evil spirits I've ever sensed.'"

Jason groaned. "Sounds awesome," he muttered. Annabeth shared a sidelong smile with Piper. The similarities between their respective boyfriends were sometimes frightening.

Annabeth, Hazel, and Piper had all agreed that the answer lay in the ancient palace of Odysseus.

Annabeth imagined a hoard of evil spirits all drooling over a statue of Gaea, the Earth Mother. She readjusted her golden chain belt. "I hope these disguises hold up," she said grimly. In her mind, she replayed the legends that she had read earlier that morning.

Annabeth had a Golden Rule: when facing battle, always do a bit of studying first. "The suitors were nasty customers back when they were alive. If they find out we're demigods…" she trailed off, not wanting to imagine a hundred of the angriest spirits all set on attacking her and her friends.

"Hazel's magic will work," Piper insisted. Annabeth could see beneath the positive facade that Piper's charmspeak set up, and knew what she had failed to add. _It has to_.

Annabeth cursed the B-list princes. "Well," Jason gripped his walking stick a little tighter. "If I look as old as I feel, my disguise must be perfect. Let's get going."

So, they trudged on. Annabeth tried to ignore the humidity. It was nothing compared to the toxic Tartarus air, which still left her feeling winded with the slightest burst of energy, but still detestable.

Annabeth thought about the dream she had last night.

She had stood on a raised, stone dais. It was ancient, and she sensed the weakening supports beneath. Annabeth tried to move, only to find that her arms were bound. Giants loomed over her, muttering under their breaths, chanting something indistinct.

Suddenly, Percy was there. Annabeth nearly cried in relief. But her keen senses told her there was something wrong with the image. Percy's face was deathy pale and streaked with blood. His eyes were glazed over like fogged glass, yet Annabeth could see the pain reflected beneath the surface. Her smile faltered as Percy stood before her, seemingly struggling with himself.

"Annabeth," he gasped, his whole body quivering, "I-I'm so sorry."

She felt a sharp, unbearable burst of pain, and heard something exploding all around her. Then her dream shifted. She stood on the porch of cabin six, staring out into the open clearing. Gaea stood dead center. Her sleepy face seemed almost to be almost gloating, and her eyes darted around beneath her heavy lids.

"You will serve me, child. It will cause you great pain." Annabeth felt the urge to scream at her, to throw something at her face, but her lips seemed to be glued shut. She looked down and found that she was no longer standing on the cabin porch, but knee-deep in mud. She struggled, and her efforts yielded nothing more than frustration. It began to rise quickly – or maybe she was just sinking. The earth rose over her head, and the world disappeared.

Annabeth closed her eyes briefly, and focused on steadying her pulse. She couldn't decide which dream was more disturbing and hadn't told anyone about either. Annabeth hoped against hope that they were just anxious nightmares, but she knew better. Unfortunately for her, demigod dreams were usually a reality.

A bird flew overhead. She began to sweat. She vaguely wondered how much longer the quest would last. She remembered back when she was twelve and had been dying to go on her first quest and prove her worth. Now, after the ordeals of Tartarus and seeing how it had changed Percy, how it had made him just for a moment, evil, she wanted nothing more than for it all to be over.

The sun continued to beat down on her back. Annabeth sighed and cursed Apollo under her breath. She then caught herself, recalling the _Arai_, the curses. She hated remembering that place. Annabeth instead concentrated on the birds singing in the trees, the rustling of leaves from the wind… Wait, the wind?

She stopped dead in her tracks, her mind alert and at the ready. There wasn't even so much as a breeze, but she could still hear a slight swish in the trees. Annabeth turned in a full circle, looking for the source of the sound. Jason and Piper had stopped, too. They seemed to have noticed her distress and were staring at her in concern. The rustling stopped. She felt a cold sensation spread across her shoulders and down her spine.

"Hey, Annie," the ghost whispered.


	5. Chapter Five - Annabeth

Annabeth

**_Annabeth was afraid to breathe, to move, to think_****. **She didn't want to turn around, praying to every god and goddess she had ever heard of, _please don't let him be there. _She drew in a deep breath. Suddenly, a torrent of images invaded her mind, all of them the faces of people who had abandoned her; her father, stepmother, Thalia, her mother... Luke.

"Annabeth, look at me, please," he said. Annabeth closed her eyes and tried to block out his voice. She wouldn't, couldn't, hear him. _This isn't happening, _she thought. Annabeth was vaguely aware that Jason and Piper were staring at her.

"Annie—"

"Don't call me that!"Annabeth cut him off, still refusing to face him. A little voice in the back of her mind whispered, _coward_.

Annabeth pulled all of her strength toward her and summoned the courage to move. Luke Castellan looked the same as the day he died; Sandy blonde hair, scarred, blue eyes full of so much pain, hurt, and remorse that Annabeth almost felt sorry for him.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry for what I did to you Annabeth. What I put you through…" Luke looked down at his feet. Annabeth frowned; she couldn't believe that she had to deal with this on top of everything else.

"You think that I'm just going to forgive you? After you broke your promise? After you left me just like everyone else does? Gods, the only reason you did any of this was because you thought that your dad didn't love you! At least you were claimed! At least he gave you a quest to go on! You are so dense!"

"Annabeth, I'm sorry," Luke said. He seemed to be pleading, his eyes urging her to listen.

Annabeth scowled. "I don't believe you. Why should I? You betrayed me once already. You sacrificed your life for _Kronos_, and you're responsible for the deaths of dozens of demigods!" Annabeth folded her arms across her chest, feeling oddly vulnerable.

"What can I do?" Luke asked.

Annabeth glared at him with a force so intense, she thought it was a miracle he didn't die again. A bubble of resentment had formed inside her without her knowledge, and now it was threatening to burst. "You can bring back Silena," she snarled, "And Charles, and Bianca, and—"

"Okay," Piper stepped forward, "Let's all just... calm down, alright?"Annabeth could tell she had switched on the charmspeak; the knot in her stomach unwound, her shoulders relaxed, her heart stopped thudding. She let her arms fall to her sides.

"I came here to apologize, Annie, " Luke said, "To help you. Do you have any idea what you're about to walk into?" he asked, gesturing to the hill-top.

Annabeth clenched her fists. "As a matter of fact, I do," she said. Luke raised his eyebrows, and Annabeth suddenly saw herself as seven years old again, holding a pathetic little hammer over her head as Luke and Thalia stared down at her.

"Really? Because I just came from there, and you don't have nearly enough power to throw the suitors over," Luke said, "They'll tear you apart."

Annabeth pursed her lips. She was almost too afraid to ask the question that lay on the tip of her tongue. "Are you with them?"she finally managed.

Luke chuckled. "What do you think, Annie?" he asked, "Of course, I'm with them. Gaea brought me back after my handiwork with Kronos. She figured I would make a worthy little pawn. You know me, if I'm not in charge, I'm not anywhere." He grinned and leaned against a tree.

Piper had withdrawn Katoptris so quickly that Annabeth only registered a blur in her peripheral vision. She had Luke pinned against the tree with the knife to his throat before Annabeth could think of a retort. Annabeth was surprised that Piper didn't pass right through him. The implications of what that meant when they reached the suitors sent a chill down her spine.

"Why should we believe you Luke?" Piper demanded, "From what I've heard, you're about as trustworthy as Janus."

Luke grinned. "You're still listening, aren't you?" Jason stepped forward, his sword drawn.

"Listen man," he said, "I don't know you, but I do know what you did. I'd really appreciate it if you'd just leave us alone." Piper released him, but kept her sword drawn.

Luke rolled his eyes. "What are you going to do, Jason Grace? Stick me with your golden toothpick? Not likely. I'm an _Aura_, you can't touch me."

Jason took a step backward. "How do you—"

"How do I what? Know who you are?" Luke scoffed, "Only a Grace would believe they're above the rest. You're no better than your foolish sister –"

"Shut up!" Annabeth yelled, "You don't get to talk about Thalia that way! She stuck up for you! She believed she could persuade you to come back to our side! You broke her heart!" Annabeth couldn't believe the change in her old friend. When he sacrificed himself, Annabeth had believed that he actually cared.

Luke shrugged it off like it was nothing. "She set herself up. I offered her the world and she turned it down to live with those insolent hunters…" Luke began to mutter angrily to himself. "It doesn't matter anyway. You have a chance to get the information you need, I can help you.

Annabeth shook her head. She was not going to accept help from a traitor. "I don't believe you. No way. We'll get in on our own," she glanced at Jason and Piper. They looked like she felt, which was completely useless.

Luke looked at all three of them sadly. "If you try to infiltrate Gaea's forces alone, you will die. You need me, Annie," he said.

"What happened to you?" she asked. She was slightly surprised to find that there was no emotion in her voice. It was completely hollow.

Luke frowned. "What do you mean?"

Annabeth stared at the ground. She couldn't bear to look at him. "You used to be loyal," she said. "Honorable. A good soldier, an amazing friend. I can't believe I ever loved you…" she trailed off, and her voice broke.

Luke flinched. "You said…"

Annabeth scowled. "I know what I said!" She was shaking with fury now, and tears streaked down her face. Luke sighed.

"I didn't come here to fight with you, Annie," he mumbled, "I wanted to help you and redeem myself. I know I'll never make up for what I've done, but..." he trailed off. Annabeth sighed.

"What's your plan?" she asked. Luke's face broke into a grin, and for the first time, Annabeth recognized her friend.

"I'll bring you in – just you. The other two can follow after…" Luke began. He explained the rest of his plan; it was ingenious really, but Annabeth still didn't trust him. As he spoke, she formulated a back-up plan in her mind – just in case things went wrong.

After Luke went to scout ahead, Annabeth explained her plan to Jason and Piper.

"So, you don't trust this guy?" Jason asked. Annabeth raised her eyebrows.

"No, of course not! Luke betrayed me once already; I'm not going to let that happen again." Annabeth fiddled with the hilt of her sword. "We'll use him to infiltrate the palace, and then we'll take care of him."

Piper frowned. "What do you mean, 'take care of him'?"

Annabeth tried for a smile, but it came out as more of a nervous grimace. "Don't worry about it," she said. "I'll deal with Luke."


	6. Chapter Six - Annabeth

Annabeth

**_Annabeth couldn't help but admire the architecture_****. **The ruins themselves were nothing to look at; crumbling stone walls surrounded a courtyard infested with weeds. It was the palace as it had been, an image as spectral as the ghosts, that Annabeth was impressed with. Surrounding the courtyard, walls lined with balconies rose three stories high. Columned porticoes faced the central atrium, where an impressive fountain sat, ringed by bronze braziers.

Annabeth milled about the crowd of suitors while dodging goblets and plates thrown by the rowdy spirits, and serving drinks and smiling sympathetically as one after one, they spoke of their grievances against the world and bragged about how they were to get revenge when Gaea rose. _Gaea's really done a number on these guys, _Annabeth thought absentmindedly.

The suitors were a hodgepodge of purple-transparent lares, gray-skinned ghouls that smelled of decay, and living mortals in clothes that ranged from togas to business suits. As she tried to keep out of the way, one particularly nasty ghoul with an arrow sprouting from his neck raised the head of a statue over his head. The others cheered and stomped their feet. Those closest to him slapped him on the back. Annabeth recognized the statue as the head of Zeus. He seemed to frowning at her as if to say, _Well, aren't you going to do something about this? _

The ghoul made his way to the fountain and screamed something that Annabeth couldn't hear. The palace exploded in cheers as the ghoul heaved the severed bust into the fountain. Annabeth realized that the fountain was spewing sand. The head dissolved in a rain of golden ichor.

The whole palace rumbled, and for a moment, the ghostly palace flickered.

Annabeth turned away and spotted Piper flirting with a particularly large and ugly suitor who seemed to be respected by the ghosts around him. Piper saw Annabeth staring rolled her eyes before resuming her chat. She scanned the area for Luke, but could not find him in the sea of purple and gray. She narrowed her eyes.

Annabeth hoped that Luke's plan would work. She hoped that her spur-of-the-moment backup plan to Luke's plan would work. Above all, she hoped that they wouldn't have to resort to Leo's backup plan. A surprise air strike of Greek fire and celestial bronze shrapnel would certainly be an advantage, but it was unpredictable.

Annabeth wished that she could trust Luke; she wished she could return to the time when she looked up to him as a hero and believed in him as a friend. There was something wrong with this apparition of him- something that she couldn't quite put her finger on. An empty void filled the space in his eyes where hope and happiness used to reside.

Luke seemed conflicted between two sides, as if he couldn't quite decide whether he was good or bad. He gave all appearances of wanting to help them… but, there was that coldness in his eyes. Regardless of all the things he'd done to her and her friends, Annabeth wished he was still alive.

Annabeth pulled herself out of her thoughts and into the present.

Jason was sitting at the head table, being bombarded with questions by the suitors there. The ghoul with the arrow embedded in his throat was sitting at the head of the table. Annabeth could tell by Jason's shaking hands and sweating forehead that the conversation wasn't going well. She moved closer to listen.

"Are you sure we shouldn't kill him, Antinous?" a lare sneered. "We could toss him into the fountain." Antinous, the ghoul at the head of the table, raised his hand in warning, "Not yet. Let us see why Iros is here. Then we'll kill him." Jason gulped, but maintained his composure.

Up close, Annabeth saw that Antinous's were solid yellow. They reminded her of Luke's when he had been possessed by Kronos. She shuddered and pushed the memory aside. The ghoul's lips spread wide over wolfish teeth, and a steady stream of dirt emanated from the top of his scalp and nestled in his curly hair. He reeked of death. Annabeth realized that Gaea must be keeping him together.

"Tell me, Iros, what do you have to offer? Your role as a messenger in useless. The last I heard of you, Odysseus crushed your jaw and tossed you into a pigsty."

Annabeth knew from her studying that Iros had once been a homeless messenger for the suitors. They had paid him in scraps of food. But when Odysseus returned to free his wife, dressed as a beggar, Itos had defended his territory.

"You made Iros-" Jason hesitated and Annabeth winced; a mistake like that could give them away. "You made _me_ fight Odysseus. You all bet on it. You didn't care if I lived or died!"

"Of course I did not care, fool," Antinous spat, "I still do not. You are as worthless today as you were then! What claim do you have to our spoils?" The ghoul bared his teeth and leaned closer to Jason.

"Spoils?" Jason asked. The ghosts at the table laughed and pounded their goblets. Antinous grinned.

"Once Gaea has risen, the remnants of the mortal world will be ours for the taking!"

"Dibs on London!" a ghost at the end of the table shouted.

"Montreal!" yelled another.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," a voice called. Annabeth turned to see Luke marching towards the table. The other suitors parted before him, obviously excited to see some action. A whispered rustled among the suitors like a breeze among trees. Annabeth saw drachmas and denarii exchange hands.

Luke bowed slightly to Antinous before facing the others. "I spoke to Iros before he came here. He told me that Gaea plans to only give spoils to the lares." There was a disturbed muttering among the ghouls and demigods. Antinous, being a ghoul himself, snapped his neck around to face Luke.

"Lies!" he screamed. "This fool does not know of what he speaks!"

"It's true!" Jason shouted, standing up. "Why should you welcome me?" he growled, "I'm still running messages, you stupid wretches! I've been sent from the House of Hades by the Earth Mother herself to see what you're up to!" Jason laughed as Antinous's wild grin faltered. All eyes were on the two of them now. Luke disappeared into the crowd.

Annabeth saw that the plan was coming to fruition; turn the suitors against each other, and get them angry enough to mention something. With luck, they would become so enraged that they would rip each other to shreds.

Jason jabbed a finger in Antinous's direction and lowered his voice threateningly. "What am I to tell the Earth Mother, Antinous? All that I see here is a group of lazy, useless ghosts enjoying themselves and not aiding the war effort. Gaea will not be pleased, and she is already angry with you."

"You never were capable of strategy, Iros," Antinous snarled. "I have spoken to Porhyrion in Athens, and the Earth Mother is most pleased with us. When she calls us, we will come, we will destroy, and we _will _have our revenge."

Annabeth's heart quickened. _Porphyrion, Athens. _She mentally worked through the geography of the area, searching for the ideal location for Gaea to wake. _She wants to wake at the most ancient place in Greece. It has to be a location with great significance historically... _Annabeth's eyes widened as she came to the only viable option. The Acropolis.

Jason seemed to read her mind.

"The Acropolis," he said, "The most ancient temple to the gods, in the middle of Athens. That's where Gaea will wake."

Out of the corner of her eye, Annabeth saw Piper and Luke making their way through the crowd, systematically killing high-ranking ghouls and lares. Luke worked silently, stabbing them in the back as their eyes popped open in surprise. Annabeth thought grimly that it was something he excelled at. Piper whispered in their ears, encouraging them to kill themselves or their neighbors. The majority did not notice what was happening all around them.

Another suitor, Eurymachus, drew a map of wine on the table, laying out the path that the _Argo II_ would be forced to take, past the island they were now on, and the horrors waiting for them. Cyclops armies in either shore, storm spirits scattered everywhere, viscous sea monsters courtesy of Keto, et cetera. Annabeth waited for the inevitable to happen as Antinous killed him by turning him to dust with his touch. Her mind was already whirring with ways to get out of the situation. Their best bet was along the southern coast of the island.

Annabeth glanced around to see that Piper and Luke had accomplished a lot in a few short minutes. Without being seen, they had managed to take out the largest and strongest of group. She grinned.

"So as you see," Antinous was saying, "The demigods have no chance of winning this war." Jason nodded weakly and pushed his plate aside.

"Very well. I will report that all is well to King Porphyrion."

Just then, a demigod surrounded in a hazy white aura broke through the crowd and said, "Wait." Annabeth could see from the expression on Jason's face that this was not someone on _their_ side.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Thanks for all the reviews, favortites, and follows so far! Who shall we have next? Reyna or Jason?<strong>_


	7. Chapter Seven - Reyna

Reyna

**It wasn****'****t as if it had been _Reyna's_**** fault**; Albania hadn't been their intended destination. Reyna didn't blame Nico either, although it did set their progress backwards instead of fowards. Really, it had been Coach Hedge who had started the whole thing.

They arrived in the middle of an Albanian forest surrounded by tall trees. A bright blue sky stretched into infinity overhead. The Athena Parthenos, which was lying on its side, had crushed about a dozen trees in their immediate vicinity.

Reyna couldn't help but be wary. There was an eerie quality about the woods they were in; the trees seemed to be twisted in anguish. Reyna drew her sword, scanning the area in case Dracula decided he was hungry. It was a good place to rest, quiet. Several birds flitted among the trees, sipping the dew off the higher twigs.

Reyna wished again that she had Skippy by her side. The Pegasus always knew how to calm her down. She picked at her cloak with nervous fingers.

"I'll stand guard," she said. Nico nodded briefly before passing out.

Gleeson Hedge, the satyr that had offered to accompany them, pulled a tin can out of his satchel and took a large, goat-sized bite. The Athena Pantheons glared at them. Reyna felt uneasy around it; its power seemed to radiate attitude.

Reyna turned her attention away from the statue and studied Hedge. He was short and burly with beady, angry eyes. He shoved the rest of the can into his mouth, then leaned against a tree and sighed contentedly. Reyna was tempted to do the same, but she felt unsure about the situation. Why Albania? Still, Nico wasn't in any shape to shadow-travel anywhere. Reyna supposed they could have ended up somewhere worse.

Hedge lowered his hat over his eyes and suddenly, many things happened at once. Nico jolted awake, Reyna's dogs appeared out of nowhere, and Hedge jumped so high his hat fell off and his horns and grazed the branches up above.

The Athena Pantheons began to glow. Nico drew his stygian iron sword and the trees appeared to lean away from the aura of death it omitted. The tree behind Hedge shook, and out sprouted a young man. He was about twenty, with a pale, but handsome face, dark black hair, and bright red lips etched into a scowl. He glowered down at Gleeson Hedge, and then fixed his expression into a welcoming smile. Reyna felt dazed and her knees wobbled.

"Young heroes," he said in a heavily accented voice that was definitely _not_ from this century. He spread his arms, and smiled wide. "Hello!"

"Um…" Nico seemed as though he was hesitant to point his sword at the man any longer. Hedge, however, tightened his grip on his baseball bat.

"Who are you, cupcake?" Hedge asked.

The man laughed. "I am Aerico," he said. "Who are you?"

The majority of Reyna's brain had turned to mush and her senses seemed to be leaking out of her ears. A little voice in the back of her mind whispered, _Don__'__t trust him! He__'__s an enemy!_

"I'm Magritte, this is Nicholas and Billy," she pointed to Nico and Hedge, who responded with confusion plastered on their faces. Hedge frowned and mouthed, _Billy? _

"Well, Magritte," he grinned, "You have awoken me from a very long slumber. How shall I reward you?"

"There's no need. We should be going," Reyna replied with some difficulty. Half of her wanted to know what kind of reward he was talking about. She touched a hand to her head, feeling suddenly dizzy.

"I insist," Aerico said. A voice, cold and clear entered her mind, strangling her thoughts, Y_ou must listen to me, Reyna __Ramírez__-Arellano. Your friends cannot be trusted. _

Reyna shook her head and stepped backward. Nico seemed to catch onto her distress. He raised his eyebrows and gripped his sword a little tighter, before turning back to Aerico. Reyna's head cleared a bit. Her dogs, Aurum and Argentum, bared their fangs and sat back on their haunches, ready to pounce.

Aerico grinned again, and Reyna noticed how his teeth were pointed and tainted red; as though he had been drinking too much Kool-Aid. She doubted that this man was in any way related to Bacchus.

_Trust me Reyna, I mean you no harm. The earth... speaks to me. I know of your plan. Your friends are leading you to your own destruction. I can help you. _Reyna whipped around and looked from Coach Hedge to Nico, her eyes wide in fear. Neither seemed to be experiencing Aerico invading their minds.

Reyna took another step backward, her foot snapping twigs on the forested ground. Nico followed suit. Aerico's eyes narrowed to slits. _Foolish girl, you cannot escape me. _Aurum and Argentum barked like mad.

Hedge bleated, then yelled, "RUN!"

Suddenly, they were barreling through the forest. Reyna thanked Jupiter for the years of training in the Roman Legion that kept her going. Nico was only a few paces ahead, and Coach Hedge was running as fast as his goat legs could carry him. Reyna summoned the courage to glance behind her. Aerico was only a few yards behind Nico, and gaining _fast_.

Reyna began to pant. Her forehead glazed over in a thin sheen of sweat. She had to think of a plan. They were nearing the outskirts of a town. Reyna spotted the top of a worn building just twenty years ahead. The forest thinned.

Nico surged ahead. He was neck and neck with Reyna. "Dead bodies ahead…" he panted. "I might… be able… to use them!"

Aerico cackled from behind them. Reyna had a feeling that he was purposefully taking it easy on them, tiring them out. The thought made her panic, and her throat constricted. She put on a burst of speed. Aurum danced around Aerico's feet, trying to trip him up.

Nico lead them through town and towards a cemetery raised on a hill that looked centuries old. They skirted around people, running through alleyways and jumping over a bunch of boxes that had been strewn across the road. A boy on a bike did a double take, and then steered straight into a trashcan. At least the bags cushioned his fall.

They stumbled though a backstreet. Nico led them toward a brick building with a glass dome on top. Aerico was gaining on them. Panic welled up inside Reyna, but her adrenaline squashed it down. Nico led them inside, and shut the doors. The mausoleum was empty, and under different circumstances, Reyna would have loved to admire it. Marble walls and flooring paned the large space. Flowers and wreaths dotted the grave slots.

Nico closed his eyes and concentrated. Hedge flexed his bat, and Reyna fingered her sword. Reyna wondered where her dogs had gone off to. She hoped that Aerico hadn't squashed them underfoot. The graves blew open, and several spirits floated out. Reyna felt bad forcing dead people from eternal rest, but this was an emergency.

"Spirits," Nico commanded in a deep voice as the stone cracked and blackened around him, "Protect us." His energy spent, Nico collapsed to one knee, breathing heavily. Reyna wanted to rush to his side, but her legs wouldn't work.

The doors blasted open with a sickening crash, sending a flurry of dust into the air. Aerico stood in the entrance, a cruel smile stretched across his face. Reyna's mind grew fuzzy again, and she blinked stupidly. She tried to shake the feeling away, but her vision tunneled. Everything around her changed; the world melted as if washed away by rain.

Suddenly, Reyna wasn't where she was supposed to be. She found herself in a house, tapping a pencil against her hand impatiently. She was curled up a couch, beneath a woolen blanket. She watched cars outside her window, waiting for something to happen; waiting for someone to come home.

She didn't know exactly where she was, but outside it was raining and she knew she was safe. Her heartbeat quickened and she sat up abruptly. Outside, she saw a car she recognized. The headlights cut through the haze of rain, causing the droplets to appear as if they were falling in slow motion. She jumped up from the couch, quickly straightening her clothes and adjusting her hair.

Reyna felt like she could burst as she heard his attempts to put the keys into the lock. She twisted the ring on her left hand. She ran for the door, smiling broadly.

Reyna stopped abruptly in the hallway. She frowned. _This isn't like me. This isn't me at all, _she thought. When the man entered the front door she hugged him immediately.

Her body was moving on its own. She wanted to see who she was hugging, but a part of her already knew. It was Jason. It was Percy. It was everyone who had rejected her for someone else.

"You could give me a minute to walk through the doorway!" He laughed, dropping a briefcase on the floor. _A briefcase?_

"I'm sorry," Reyna whispered, but try as she might, she couldn't stop smiling. "I… I just love you."

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her, "I love you too." Reyna frowned again. _How did I get here? _she wondered, _I'm not supposed to be here. _

He, whoever _he _was, didn't love her, she didn't love him. No one ever did. Thunder rumbled outside- the ground beneath her feet shook. Images flashed in Reyna's mind at an uncontrollable rate. Behind all the thoughts, in the very back of her mind... she heard a plea for help. She heard her name. Reyna realized it was Nico, begging her to come back to reality.

_I can give you happiness Reyna_, the voice said calmly, _I can give you love. All you have to do is kill your friends_.

_My friends. My friends need me,_ Reyna thought.

_Of course, if you don__'__t do what I say__…__I can make sure they die_.

Suddenly, Jason stood before her. He smiled at her weakly before looking down at his hands. She was about to ask what was bothering him when she saw it. An imperial gold blade emerged from his stomach, gleaming in the sunlight. A groan escaped Jason's lips.

"NO!" Reyna yelled, and she surged forward with legs made of lead. Her fingers went for her own sword, but it wasn't there. As she ran, the blade was pulled back through his stomach. The wound began to smoke. "No," Reyna whispered as tears welled in her eyes. She reached Jason just in time to stop him from falling on his face.

Reyna lowered him gently to the ground. "It's going to be okay Jason," she told him.

"You haven't called me Sparky in a long time," Jason mumbled. _Sparky?_

The wound was bad. She didn't have any ambrosia or cloth to hold pressure on the wound, so her hands would have to do. _Don__'__t die_. Blood spilled over her hands as she pressed on gaping hole in his abdomen. The bleeding wouldn't stop. Jason began muttering gibberish that Reyna tuned out. _I need to get you out of here_.

She looked around her. They were in the middle of a palace that had fallen into ruin. There was nobody there except for Jason and Reyna. The place was empty.

"Reyna!" Jason choked. She snapped her head down to look at him. His eyes stared somewhere far off. "I- I'm so sorry." Jason closed his eyes. His mouth opened, and Aerico's voice came forth.

"You must kill the boy and the goat, or you will never get true love."

"NO!" Reyna yelled. She focused all of her strength on returning to her body, to the present. She was back in the mausoleum. Nico was staring at her with wide eyes.

Aerico became abruptly handsome. Reyna's anger faded. She didn't remember surging forward, but she found herself in Aerico's arms.

_You know what you must do Reyna. The Greeks cannot be trusted. _

He laughed maliciously, and the image shattered. Reyna found the strength to pull away and look around her. Spirits were forming, heading toward the monster. Reyna fought down a protective urge- a protective urge for _him_. She tried to shake the thoughts out of her head, but it didn't work. She found herself slashing at the dead bodies with her sword. They crumbled to dust and reformed just as fast, reminding her of two months ago, before Thantos had been unchained.

The spirits rolled their eyes at her, continuing to fight off Aerico. She furrowed her brow. What had happened to her? Aerico slashed his way through the spirits, and for some reason, she fought beside him. He made a pathway through the dead bodies, somehow destroying them with ease. Aerico was simply too fast for them. He whirled across the floor, past spirits and a very tired Nico di Angelo.

_The boy is weakened, _Aerico whispered in her mind, _An easy target. _Reyna fought the voice, fought the urge to listen. Her legs, however, seemed to act of their own accord as she marched towards Nico. Nico looked up at her, and his face paled.

"Reyna, what-" She cut off his question with a slash of her sword. Time seemed to slow as her blade cut its arc through the air. Nico didn't have time to react. At the last second, her own mind took over, and she angled her body in a new position, changing the trajectory and missing Nico's head by inches.

"Nico- I'm sorry. I don't-" she mumbled.

Suddenly, Aerico was beside them. Aerico pulled Reyna toward him, much against her will, and pressed her to him, his fangs bared. He smelled of blood. Reyna tried to fight him off. Aerico merely cackled and pulled her closer. Reyna kicked and pushed, but the excruciating pain in her neck didn't do her any favors. She groaned, wondering where her sword was when she needed it. She felt light-headed. Queasy.

And, just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. Aerico crumbled to dust right in front of her. Coach Hedge stood where Aerico had, holding his bloody baseball bat aloft. Nico was moaning on the marble floor, and the spirits had disappeared. Reyna threw her arms around Coach Hedge. Normally, she wasn't one for open intimacy, but this was a different situation. He had saved her life.

Coach Hedge pulled away. "You nearly killed Nico," he muttered dazedly. "And he bit you. And you fought off our reinforcements."

From the floor, Nico coughed. "It wasn't her fault," he muttered. "Vampires… Have a way about them. She didn't know what she was doing." He looked at her pointedly, as if he somehow knew what she had experienced. But how could he know? And how had she seen Jason? It had felt real, as if she could feel the sword enter her own body. Could it be?

It was possible that the gift of Bellona was stronger than Reyna imagined. She had used it before to give Jason strength. Reyna wondered if she had formed some sort of empathy link with him, but immediately hated herself for considering that Aerico's vision was anything but a tactic to spook her. The implications were unbearable.

_In case you are in need of it Jason, I send my strength out to you. _

Reyna nodded to Nico, and smiled gratefully at the Coach. She covered her face with her hands, brushing away the tears. She didn't want to look up. "I'm sorry," she muttered, completely and utterly ashamed.

Coach sighed. "Well, I guess I can let you off the hook," he said. "On one condition." He grinned. Reyna looked up. "You make sure to remember it was me who defeated the crazy vampire dude, and we're all good."

"Agreed," Reyna said. "But, let's never speak of this again."

Nico snorted in response, and they made their way back to the Athena Parthenos.


	8. Chapter Eight - Reyna

Reyna

**_Reyna knew there was something wrong with the place from the start_**. But for some inane reason, she ignored her instincts, casting them aside as irrational fears.

Jason had once convinced her to watch a scary movie with him a few years ago. That was back when she thought they had a chance of being together. He'd walked up her living quarters with a bucket of popcorn under his right arm and a packet of goobers and a scary movie in his left.

"Oh, no," Reyna moaned, opening the door.

"You and I are going to watch this movie and it's gonna be great," he said.

The movie didn't scare Reyna much. She'd been in Camp Jupiter war games that were scarier and far more realistic. She had jumped every now and then when something popped up out of nowhere, but what really bothered her was the idiotic decisions the characters kept making. _Oh, we found a mysterious book in a spooky house that says don't open? Cool, let's read it out loud and see what happens. _Halfway through, Reyna remembered asking Jason why the stupid girl kept turning corners, armed with nothing more than a steak knife. "Because she's dumb," he replied through a mouthful of popcorn.

Reyna didn't get it then. Why would anyone in their right mind go looking for the monster waiting for them in the dark? She got it now. At the start, you might be in your right mind, but you aren't at the end. You aren't anywhere close. You turn another corner, thinking, _if nothing is there, then maybe I'm sane after all._ They do it to prove themselves wrong.

Reyna wasn't at all shocked when they landed in the middle of nowhere about a mile from an overgrown and decrepit house that was the only building visible in a sea of fog. This one was Nico's fault.

They had landed in a marsh. Reyna struggled to push herself into a sitting position. This last jump had been much too long. Ever since Pompeii, Reyna had been lending Nico her power; a gift special to the children of Bellona. By her estimations, they had ended up somewhere in England, but where they were exactly, Reyna couldn't tell. She wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep, ignoring her mission. Spots danced in her vision, taunting her with promises of darkness.

Reyna was covered in a sticky brown goo that smelled like a mixture between rotten milk, mud, and decay. She stood and stumbled forwards a step or two. Her legs felt about as supportive as noodles. Reyna squeezed her hair between barely formed fists, but she was unable to wring the stuff out.

Reyna scanned her immediate vicinity for the the others, and noticed that the Athena Partenos was sinking. Athena's stern face seemed to glare at her. Nico had collapsed face down in the marsh. He wasn't moving. A wave of panic washed over Reyna and she forged through the thick liquid trying to reach him. With every step she put back in the marsh, the mud reforms around her legs like jello. _You cannot be dead, _she thought. Reyna reached Nico and turned him over. His face was pale and muddy, but he sputtered and opened his eyes.

"Reyna," he gasped, "Where? How?"

Coach Hedge chose that moment to emerge from beneath the surface, gasping and splashing around dramatically. Reyna resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she helped him up.

"There's something in there!" he said, quickly trotting out of the marsh. Reyna frowned, narrowing her eyes at the murky waters.

"What kind of something Coach?" Reyna asked as she drew her sword. She tried to look through the stuff, but could find nothing. She shrugged. "Maybe it just doesn't like goats." Hedge scoffed, several times.

"I take offense to that, Cupcake." he growled, shouldering his baseball bat. Reyna again rolled her eyes, before turning her attention to the worn down building. She eyed it warily.

Half the roof had caved in, the paint had chipped and faded revealing the brick underneath, and one of the shutters was knocked off its hinges. Tall ferns climbed up the face and crept into the windows. But if the plumbing worked, and it if had beds, Reyna thought the old manor would be perfectly suitable for the night.

Hedge glared at the house with distaste. He sniffed the air, his nose twitching rapidly. "I don't like it," he said. "Smells... Odd."

"Odd? Like Monsters?" Reyna asked.

Hedge shook his head. "No, this is different... I can't tell what it is, exactly. Could be nothing, remains of something... Who knows?"

Reyna turned the hilt of her sword over in her palm. _Don't do it, _a small voice in the back of her mind said. She chose to ignore it. "Well, whatever it is, we're going in."

Hedge let out an irritated bleat. "Oh no way! In there? I have a wife and child to get back to. I refuse to walk into a trap! Do you even remember Pompeii?! You're insane-"

Reyna held up a hand, cutting off his rambling. "What other choice do we have? We're all covered in mud, Nico is closer to death than life, and I think we could all use a shower. Come on, Coach!"

Hedge huffed. "Fine," he said begrudgingly. "We'll check it out. If there's trouble, there's trouble. Could be fun. I've been meaning to try out a new roundhouse kick anyway..." Together they dragged Nico up to the house.

They trudged up to the doorstep, trampling over dried grass and wildflowers. Reyna scanned the area for any threats as they climbed up the weathered porch. A garland of dried honeysuckle was wrapped around the railing. An old rocking chair sat before a window with no panes.

The fact that the door was unlocked should have been hint enough, _Dangerous_. A heavy smell of rot and decay hung over the place like the fog that swirled over the moor, _Leave, now._ The shutters rattled against the window frame although there wasn't the slightest trace of wind, _GET OUT_. Reyna didn't listen to her instincts. The door swung open wide and slammed against the hallway inside, sending a flurry of dust in its wake.

The interior of the manor must have once been glamorous, but had since fallen into ruin. A grand staircase composed of two separate flights with gilt banisters twisted gracefully upwards to different wings of the building. The floor was beautifully tiled in a mosaic pattern that peeked through layers of dust and silt. Floor to ceiling windows on either side of the front door were that were missing almost all panes of glass rose thirty feet into the air.

Reyna stepped further inside, feeling oddly small, when she froze.

Coach Hedge didn't see them.

Reyna suspected that had Nico been anywhere near conscience, he would have. He would have told her and Hedge to leave while they still had a chance. He would have commanded the spirits to return to the underworld.

There were three of them; an old man, a young woman, and a little boy who could be no more than eight. They were looking straight at Reyna; their black eyes ready to consume her. The old man grinned, revealing several missing teeth, but he not speak. Instead, the floorboards creaked, "Welcome Reyna."

Reyna thrust her hand from her heart in a gesture to ward off evil that she had seen Percy do. The woman hissed in distaste, but they faded away.

Reyna hadn't noticed, but Coach must have walked away. From around the corner he yelled, "Water works! It's cold… and hard… but it works! Yes!"

After they had all showered in the slightly sulfuric smelling water, Coach Hedge and Nico decided to take naps. Well, Nico didn't really decide- he collapsed on his bed facedown with spots of shampoo still in his hair. As tired as Reyna was, she didn't feel at all comfortable leaving the group unguarded.

Reyna sat on her bed in a cleanish t-shirt and jeans, holding her sword across her lap. Every time a leaf scratched against a window, she jumped. The floorboards creaked, and she felt like eyes were staring into her back. _Nothing is there, nothing is there_.

As crazy as it was, she was sure that the house was speaking to her. Creak.

"We know who you are Reyna." She tried to convince herself she was imagining things. But she couldn't have imagined those ghosts. After Albania and Pompeii, Reyna was beginning to think that the Athena Parthenos attracted all things mythical like moths to a flame. Crack.

"We know what you have." _What do we have? _Reyna wondered. Her eyes widened. _The Athena Parthenos_. Creak.

"It shall be ours."

Reyna's heart jolted. The statue. They had left it in the marshes. She jumped off her bed and headed for the stairs. The wooden steps groaned in protest as she descended. Creak. Crack.

"You cannot leave."

The door was just a few feet away, Reyna should have reached it by now, but the distance somehow kept getting longer. She ran, breaking into a cold sweat.

"We have you!" The door swung shut and the locks latched with a final clunk. The moth-eaten curtains drew themselves shut, and the once lit foyer became so dark that Reyna couldn't see her own sword in her hands.

Hot air spread over her shoulder in steady intervals, sending chills down her spine. It was like someone was breathing… like someone was standing right next to her. Reyna was too scared to breath… or to blink. She feared that in the millisecond her lids covered her eyes– something would happen. Something would be there when her eyes opened. _This is not happening, not to me, not after everything else, it isn't fair..._

Reyna didn't blink, and she didn't miss it. The old man appeared right in front of her. His hazy image flickered like a dying candle and he became a rotten corpse before turning back into a ghost. Reyna stood her ground. She wasn't a daughter of the goddess of war for nothing.

"Who are you?" Her body shook- she couldn't control that. The temperature in the room was below freezing. She could see breath come out in little puffs before her. His did too.

The ghost smiled, the same toothless grin.

Everything happened too fast, all at once. A hand closed around her ankle like a vice and she was pulled to the floor. Her back slammed against the dusty carpet, and she lay unable to move; the wind was knocked out of her.

Reyna screamed as her body was dragged across the floor by invisible hands. She twisted onto her stomach, clawing for a handhold to stop her momentum. Her fingernails chipped away and throbbed painfully.

She had thought she was used to ghosts after growing up in a house full of them. But this was different.

The ghost swung Reyna across the room, and she crashed into a rocking chair that lay on its side. This time, she was prepared for another attack. She clambered into a standing position despite the pain and raised her fists, prepared to go down fighting. Nico and Coach Hedge were nowhere to be seen, and Aurum and Argentum were too weakened to appear. _You're going to have to get yourself out of this one yourself Reyna, _she thought.

The floorboards groaned. "I'm Maurice."

He appeared before her again, smiling with his rotten teeth. She wanted to punch them out of his stupid transparent mouth– but now wasn't the time to give in to her anger. He wanted something. She had to barter with this man.

"What do you want... Maurice?" She croaked. The ghost cackled by slamming the shutters opened and closed.

"You are even more pathetic than Gaea described, young one. Look at you, alone and in the dark, unable to save your skin. I will rip you apart, along with your pathetic friends, and give your ashes to Gaea."

Reyna cringed. She wished Jason was with her. She always felt safer when he was around. Stupid Venus. Stupid quest. Stupid Octavian. She wanted to scream, but she was losing energy fast. She needed help.

"Give me the statue, and you might live."

"Why? What's a statue to you?"

"We have been here for hundreds of years. We are restless. The statue will help us wreak havoc on the world in the name of the Earth Mother!" _Nope, _Reyna thought, _not gonna let that happen. _

Reyna tried to formulate a plan. Her brain buzzed a million miles an hour. _I'm too weak to fight all of them. I need to turn them against each other, and make contact with Nico and Hedge._

"Everyone answers to someone, Maurice. What is Gaea doing for you? Giving you new life? You know she won't follow through. You want the statue so you can do the deed yourself! How do your friends feel about that? I'm sure they're not feeling very loyal–"

All of the sudden, a hundred more ghosts appeared around Maurice. Reyna used the distraction to assess her injuries and applied pressure to them. She could sense that she was quickly losing strength.

The ghosts hissed around their master. "Is it true?" asked one.

"Of course, you idiot! He's been plotting to be rid of us since the beginning, always skulking around!" said another.

"You owe me twenty drachmas!" shouted one gleefully.

It was working. Reyna stood unsteadily. Her knees were wobbled under her weight and her head spun.

"Oh Gods," Reyna whispered. She closed her eyes and tried to regain her balance. The house exploded in anger.

"THE GIRL LIES!" Maurice roared. The other spirits quieted. "I would never turn against any of you!"

Reyna knew her time was limited. She cursed under her breath and decided to leave (a really rare occurrence). Reyna made for the stairs. She didn't dare look behind her. She jogged up the steps, taking them two at a time. She thought she had had a stroke of good luck, maybe the spirits had forgotten her in their arguments, when the last stair gave out underneath her.

She fell twenty feet.

By the time she hit the bottom, Reyna knew she had broken her leg. She screamed, tears pouring down her face. She had never been in this much pain. She sobbed. She had broken a few ribs and blood was still seeping out of her wounds. She could barley breathe. Her chest was on fire.

She thought of all the people that needed her, and that were counting on her. She thought of the vision Aerico had shown her, of Jason dying right before her. If she died, Nico and Coach might not get the statue to Camp Half-Blood. _You don't get to give up. The whole world is counting on you._

"NICO!" she screamed, using up all of her energy. Her rib cage felt as though it had exploded. The ghosts appeared around her. She realized she had a large, jagged piece of wood sticking out of her thigh.

The ghosts laughed at her misery. She sobbed again. Her body felt numb. How was she not dead yet? She felt her body heat up. She glowed red. Her pain momentarily vanished. Her wounds were still there, but she couldn't feel the pain anymore. Her first assumption was that she was in shock. Then she realized it was a blessing from her mother.

With great effort, she pulled the shard of wood out of her thigh. She slashed at the nearest ghost, and it crumbled to pieces.

"You think that I am pathetic?" Reyna roared. "Feel my wrath, you stupid idiots!" Not the best insult, but it made her feel good. She managed to take out three of them before collapsing. The rest swarmed in on her.

Nico was next to her then, his eyebrows knitted in concern. He must have come from the other stairwell.

"Reyna, what happened?" His eyes found Maurice and his ghost army, and he withdrew his Stgyian iron sword. He slashed and hacked. She stabbed and pulled. Coach whacked and bleated. Together, they defeated the ghost army. Reyna kicked Maurice in the face and stabbed him in the gut.

"This is what you get for playing on the wrong side," she whispered in his ear. He dissolved before her.

Nico was starting at her in astonishment. He gaped. Coach was slack-jawed. Reyna's glow faded. She felt weak, drained of life, and murderous. She gasped as the pain returned in one large wave and a ton of bricks seemed to crash onto her body. She wouldn't be able to lend Nico any strength for the next jump. She didn't have any to give.

She had just enough time to whisper, "Thank you mother," before the world dissolved around her.


	9. Chapter Nine - Reyna

REYNA

**Reyna felt like she was going to explode.**

Her lids cracked open, revealing a world that was blurry and unfocused. The dream she had fallen into briefly, faded away, and so did whatever was blocking her pain.

Her ribcage burned, throbbed and felt oddly… twisted. It was squeezing and compressing her lungs so that her breath crackled like an old paper bag. She could only gasp in short bursts of air, which was barely enough to sustain consciousness. She groaned, trying to sit, to move, to live, to do anything at all. She sent signals for her limbs to move, but nothing happened. She wondered if she was intentionally keeping herself still to avoid the pain.

_Maybe I__'__m just paralyzed_.

Reyna knew it would happen. She concentrated on flexing her knee, just slightly and… pain, instant, excruciating pain. It spread like wildfire through her thigh, knee, and ankle. And suddenly, the events of the manor came flooding back to her.

_The mansion. The ghosts. Being dragged down the hallway by invisible hands. The stairwell collapsing underneath her. The fall. _

Reyna wanted to laugh at the irony of it all, when two faces appeared over her.

Nico muttered something under his breath that Reyna couldn't quite make out. His eyebrows furrowed together. Hylla squeezed her hand reassuringly. _Hylla?_ Reyna wondered, _How did she get here?_ Reyna then realized she didn't even know where _here_ was.

Reyna was only vaguely aware of what was happening around her. A few of Hylla's Amazons scurried around and lifted Reyna onto a stretcher. As they moved her, the pain made her want to scream and curse all the gods. Then, her body went numb. She passed out.

When Reyna awoke after what she hoped was only hours, and not days, later, she started to feel much better. Her leg throbbed, but only slightly. When she breathed, it was no longer accompanied by the crackling, rattling sound.

Reyna studied her surroundings. She was in a in a small room, lying on a soft, fluffy mattress. Colored beads hung down from the sides, which Reyna thought was an odd touch.

"I don't think I'm getting the whole story, Nico," someone spat. Reyna glanced over, not daring to move in fear of the pain. Nico and Hylla were having a heated argument in the corner of the room, occasionally pointing in her direction.

Reyna sighed. It was time to take charge – again.

"Hylla, he didn't do anything!" she called. Hylla jumped, and Nico raised an eyebrow.

Hylla took a timid step toward her, her hands clasped and lips pursed.

"Sister," she said evenly. "You're awake."

Reyna glared. R_eally Hylla? Way to state the obvious. _

Reyna rolled her eyes while forcing herself into a sitting position. Tiny jolts of pain ran down her spine like arcing electricity, but she chose to ignore them.

"Where are we?" she asked Nico, ignoring her sister.

Nico seemed hesitant to answer. He shifted from foot to foot, leaning on his sword. "San Juan," he said at last.

Reyna wanted to scream, or throw something. _Not here. Not home. _She wanted to tear Nico apart, until she realized there was no way he could have made a jump that far without help. Reyna highly doubted the stupid statue they were hauling was suddenly going to start lending them a hand.

"How?" she finally asked. Her voice was shaky. Reyna couldn't help it, she was _still_ having nightmares of that place and her old life.

Nico seemed to read her thoughts, which might have actually been possible, as they were now linked together through the power of Bellona.

"Strong magic brought us here," he said with a scowl. "I don't know who did it… Hylla claims to be innocent." Reyna turned to her sister, her eyes wide.

"We were drawn here the same way," Hylla remarked. Reyna's eyes widened and she began shaking. _San Juan. Magic. Bellona. Dad. _She turned to Hylla.

"Magic? You don't think?" Hylla shrugged, but Reyna could see that she was scared too. Their past here was something that they had agreed to forget.

"Reyna? What's going on?" Nico asked, "What aren't you telling me?" Reyna frowned at her sister, who was looking back and forth between the two, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Are the two of you a thing?" she demanded, looking absolutely horrified. Reyna blushed. She had forgotten her sister's opinion on relationships- they weakened everyone involved. Nico hung his head.

"No! Gods, Hylla!" Reyna said, wanting so badly to punch her sister for her insensitivity. Unfortunately, she could barely move. Hylla relaxed, however.

"Good, because if you were, I would have to kill him," she unsheathed her dagger, cleaning out her fingernails. "Lucky for you boy, I don't like having blood on my hands… it doesn't mean I won't, though." She shot Nico a last warning look. Nico looked eager to change the subject; Reyna could practically sense his desire to avoid the subject and fade into the shadows.

"You told me you were with the Hunters of Artemis," he said. "Where is Thalia?"

Hylla ran a hand through her hair. It was more tangled than usual. "I don't know…" she said. "She disappeared a few nights ago."

Nico scowled. "And you're not going to look for her?! You're just going to accept—"

Hylla raised an eyebrow. "What's it to you anyway, _boy_?"

Reyna glared at her sister. "Hylla!" she screeched, balling her fists.

Nico scowled. "She's my cousin," he growled. "She could be dead, or maybe she's being held captive, or lying in a ditch somewhere, bleeding and–"

Hylla held up a hand. "You have a very active imagination," she commented. "We've been looking for her. For two days we have searched. She was gone, and voluntarily by the looks of it. We saw no sign of a struggle. We have search parties out right now, but she didn't leave a very strong trail. Wherever she has gone, she didn't want us to know."

Nico rolled his eyes. "I'm going to talk to Phoebe, I'm sure she knows something," he was about to exit the tent when he turned to Reyna. "Are you gonna be okay here with her?" he jerked his thumb toward Hylla.

Reyna felt the urge to roll her eyes, but she held back. She felt honored that Nico cared at all. He seemed genuinely worried for her safety. She gave him a nod, and he left.

Hylla sat at the edge of Reyna's bed and squeezed her eyes shut. "What exactly happened to you? The boy never gave me a full explanation."

Reyna didn't want to, but she told her sister her story. While she spoke, Hylla didn't make a sound. But by the end of her story, Reyna's sister looked horrified. "How did you survive?" she asked.

"A blessing from mom," Reyna said heavily. She stared at her hands.

Hylla nodded, though she still looked pained. She pursed her lips. "I don't think we can risk any more ambrosia on you," she said. "I don't want you to burst into flames."

Reyna wanted to smile, but found it difficult. "I've been through a lot the past few days," she said quietly. "So has Nico, and Coach Hedge. I would really appreciate it if you would lay of Nico… he saved my life – multiple times, actually."

Hylla grinned. "Are you sure you don't like him?" she asked. "I mean, I was all for that Jason boy… But he's okay too."

Reyna blushed. She seriously didn't want to talk boys with her sister, and being reminded of her could-have-been-if-not-for-a-stupid-goddess relationship with Jason made her heartache. She shook her head. "Nico and I… We're not a couple, okay?" she set her hands on her lap. "There's no potential there, and he's two years younger than I am."

Hylla laughed. It was short-lived, however, because an explosion made them both jump. Reyna pushed herself off the bed, ignoring the heavy pain that shot throughout her entire body, and grabbed her sword. Hylla readied her knife. Reyna turned to Hylla.

"I'm going to have to risk exploding. Give me some ambrosia and nectar."

Outside, Hunters and Amazons ran about, throwing porcelain vases of water at a large fire. Another explosion rattled the make-shift camp in a familiar courtyard. The buildings all around were painted a murky terracotta and were lined with balconies. Potted azaleas hung from bannisters and windows, mixing with the scent of the ocean, giving the air a fresh scent. It took a moment for Reyna to place it, but she finally remembered visiting the restaurant, Barrachina with Hylla and her father, before he went insane.

Hunters drew their bows, scoping the courtyard for threats. Reyna did the , at the crest of a hill, was a dragon. Reyna's body went numb. _No, it isn't possible, _she thought.

Reyna thought she knew what _gigantic_ meant. She'd been wrong. The dragon was immense, with a wingspan that blocked out the sun entirely and shrouded the camp in darkness. Red and orange metallic scale glinted like blood in the sun that shone from behind, giving the illusion that the dragon was on fire. Reyna doubted any arrow could pierce its hide. It roared, expelling a thunderhead of flame.

Reyna turned to Hylla, whose mouth was hanging open.

"The Athena Parthenos! Where is it?" Hylla blinked.

"We covered it up with a magic shroud." She sounded dazed. "The statue... was attracting creatures and spirits from miles away. That... thing won't see it."

Reyna nodded and assessed the damages. She spotted Nico rallying several spirits, along with a legion of zombies and skeletons that sprang from the earth like popcorn.

"Form ranks!" an Amazon shouted. Reyna assumed she was Hylla's second-in-command, Phoebe. Hunters and Amazons obediently obliged, lining up and drawing their weapons. Reyna whistled for Arum and Argentum and ordered them to guard the Athena Parthenos.

Nico ran up to Reyna's side.

"Do you know what that is?" she asked him, her heart racing. _It can't be,_ she thought, _It isn't real. Dad was lying, he was crazy. _

Nico took a shaky breath and swallowed. Reyna smiled at him kindly. She couldn't help being concerned for him. Nico had seemed abrasive and dangerous at first, but he had proved himself time and time again. And there was something wrong, something that he was hiding. He's lost his big sister Bianca. He'd pushed away all other demigods who tried to get close to him.

Reyna knew how difficult keeping secrets could be. Being back in San Juan, her old hometown, brought back so many bad memories that her head spun.

Reyna hadn't always been the way she was now. She used to be happy and carefree. She still had family photos showing a gapped-tooth girl smiling in various poses. Reyna didn't recognize that girl now.

Reyna and Hylla's father hadn't taken well to Bellona leaving forever after Reyna was a few years old. He had cursed her, withdrawing into his mansion. Reyna remembered the house clearly; it had been her prison for nearly her whole childhood. The home had been in their family for many generations, and was said to be blessed by Bellona. In reality, it had been haunted by her ancestors. Reyna had it bulldozed and paved over just a few years ago.

Eventually, their father had remarried, to a woman that he loved. Reyna had thought that it was all over, he became happier, and the makeshift family had gone on outings through thought the town. Occasionally, monsters would come near them, but none attacked. It was like something was holding them back.

Then, Reyna and Hylla's father and stepmother had gone on a picnic. Their stepmother never returned. Their father had descended into madness, saying that they were attacked by a dragon with magic. He blamed Reyna and Hylla for being demigods and attracting it. He had locked them away in the mansion.

He finally deteriorated into a _mania_, a spirit of insanity, and attacked Hylla, lunging for her throat. Reyna had defended her sister, and in the process, killed whatever was left of her father. They had left that night and never returned. Reyna pulled herself out of her thoughts.

"The Thespian Dragon, I think," Nico finally answered. At this, the dragon let out a thunderous roar and blasted fire. Most of the Amazons had shields, but one girl got fried. Coach Hedge ran for the fallen girl. Reyna cringed. Hylla ran off to command her soldiers.

"How was it defeated before?" Reyna asked Nico. Nico coughed nervously and grimaced.

"Uh, a guy named Menespian killed it." Reyna sighed.

"How?" She pressed. Nico scratched his ear.

"Well..." he began, "He strapped himself in a suit of spiked armor and, uh, intentionally got eaten." Reyna frowned.

"Fantastic." She took a breath, and charged it.


End file.
